Police report: Boarders tortured, killed cat while owners were out of town

by Marvin Clemons and Denise Rosch, KSNV

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) - A man and woman face felony charges for torturing and killing a cat that belonged to the family they were living with.

Immanuel Church and Denise Eddines allegedly tortured and killed a cat on Feb. 23 while the pet's owners, Nia Wulkan and Zane Grove, were out of town.

Wulkan told police she had allowed Church and Eddines to rent a room in the house for $100 a week, starting about six weeks before the incident. She said there had never been a concern about the suspects caring for her animals.

According to an arrest report, Eddines told Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigators that she and Church killed the cat because it had "hissed and pawed them while in Nia's bedroom watching television."

The pair stated they didn't know if the cats were all demons or what was wrong, but expressed that it was "a spiritual thing." Eddines also said she was allergic to the cats.

The home had six cats and two dogs.

The police report states Eddines looked on the internet for methods to kill the cats, and the pair eventually trapped some of them in a bedroom.

A 5-pound cat named Spunky kept hissing and pawing at them. They are accused of making a sauce - containing hot sauce and Sriracha sauce - and pouring it on Spunky. Church allegedly used a sword to stab and kill Spunky.

In addition to the hot sauce, the pair admitted to using a fire extinguisher on the cat. They allegedly put the deceased cat in a plastic container and then plastic bags, and took the cat to a nearby front yard and discarded it.

They face two counts each of willful and malicious torture, cruelly beating or unjustifiably injuring, maiming or killing an animal belonging to another.

Eddines and Church are being held on $3,000 bail at the Clark County Detention Center. They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. March 13.